What about Breakfast at Tiffany’s?

Miss Catherine is an old and very close friend of mine. We go back at least 18 years to the days when we started taking piano lessons together. We continued to be close friends throughout secondary school and beyond. I love Catherine, I truly do, but I think it is safe to say that she does not share my ridiculous obsession with clothes. Many a time she has summoned me up to Birmingham, where she now lives, to help re-fill her wardrobe. Of course this is a challenge I am only too glad to accept, much to her other half’s concern!

In June, Miss Catherine was invited to a fancy dress party. The theme, you ask? The dead famous! Of course, Catherine instantly called upon her old friend Flo for assistance in this matter. My mind sprung into overdrive at the endless possibilities for such an occasion; Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland…even Elvis Presley, Freddy Mercury or Charlie Chaplin. I have to admit I am still too scared to voice my favourite idea, for fear of it being stolen. Who knows when I may need it myself? Thankfully, Cat already had her heart set on one particular lady…The great Audrey Hepburn! And what better a look to go for than her Breakfast at Tiffany’s style? Tonight Catherine, you shall be Holly Golightly!

I settled on this iconic Audrey Hepburn character because this is who we all picture when someone mentions this incredible woman’s name. Black dress, beehive, cigarette in hand, endless pearls…now here is a look I could re-create. Easy-peasy!

The outfit:
For Miss Catherine’s outfit, I fished out an old black Matalan shift dress and we then headed out in search of accessories. We managed to get hold of imitation pearl necklace, bracelet, earrings and tiara in Primark. The black gloves were found in Claire’s Accessorise. I even rustled up a cigarette from a black drinks straw, some white cardboard and a bit of selotape! Voila; Audrey eat your heart out!

The hair:
To re-create Audrey’s signature Beehive, I was going to have to create volume! I firstly cut up some hair doughnuts to be used as hair padding. I pinned this padding to the top of Catherine’s head. I then pulled the hair from the front of her head up and over this padding and pinned it at the back of her hair, underneath the hair padding. Catherine has thick hair and a LOT of it. For those of you with finer or shorter hair (like myself) you may find it helpful to use some hair extensions in a similar colour to your own hair to cover the padding, and then pull your hair over the top of these. This way, if your own hair doesn’t completely cover the hair padding, it simply does not matter. Nobody will ever know what is lying beneath. I used the Lee Stafford my perfectly polished finishing touch boar bristle hair brush to create a smooth finish. A great deal of Lee Stafford hold tight hair spray and bobby pins also helped to keep the style in place. The very last stage of the hair style was to place a tiara at the front of the beehive. And there we have it; the Holly Golightly style that we all know and love.

A fine Audrey Hepburn Miss Catherine makes…and a rather extravagant date for her partner Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin I am sure you will agree.